Corn-harvester



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(No Modell H. R. STEVENSON,

CORN HARVESTER.

N0. 517,899. Patentd Apr. 10, 1894.

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H; R. STBVENSON CORN STER.

No. 517,899. 'l Y PatentedApr. 10, 1894.

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H. R. STEVBNSON. URN HARVESTER.

No. 517,899. Patented Apr. 10, .1894.

UNrrnu HOMER R. STEVENSON, OF SALEM, ILLINOIS.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,899, dated April10, 1894.

Application iiled August 19. 1893. Serial No. 483,552. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER R. STnvENsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Marion, State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Corn-Harvesters, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact de:V scription,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecication, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan-view. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a detail plan-viewof thecutting blade. Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the knife orblade inits retracted position. Fig. 6 is a sectional View. through the same,looking from the front. Fig.7 is alongitudinal section through theknife. Fig. 8 is a detail View of the advanced gathering arm, showing itin its normal position. Fig. 9 is a similar view, showing the arm in itsretracted position. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the arm for taking awaythe corn from the knives after it is cut. Fig. 11 is a detail view ofthe bar for discharging the shock and Fig. 12 is a detail view of one ofthe slides in the rear section, or platform.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in corn-harvesters,and consists, generally stated, in the improved construction of such amachine, in which is combined simplicity, cheapness, and effectivenessof operation.

The object of this invention is to construct a machine of the classdescribed adapted to be drawn by suitable power, so as to embrace thestanding corn in the lield, and which is adapted to cut two rows at onetime. After the corn is cut, it is taken from the knife by suitablemeans and deposited in a receptacle, awaiting removal by the operator,who takes the same and shocks it on the rear platform of the machine.When the corn is shocked, it is removed by the operator tilting the rearplatform, by means under his control, which means embrace, also, asliding bar, which comes in contact with the shock on the. platform andbya rearward movement, forces the same o.

In the drawings, 2 indicates the ground wheels, which are connected byaxles 3.

rear extremity of which is journaled the rear axle, and whose forwardends extends in advance of the front wheel. Supported by this framing,is a fron-t platform 5, whose front edges are recessed, as at 6, asshownin Fig. 1, for the passage of a stalk of corn to the knives 6,which are mounted at the rea-r of these recesses. Extending upwardly oneach side of these recesses are vertical posts or standards 7, the lowerends of which are provided with lateral extensions 8, which extendinwardly or toward each other, and close the passage of the corn-stalk,through this recess 6a. These arms 8 are made yielding by a spring 9,attached to one side of the post 7, and, when the stalk of corn comes inContact with Said extremities or arms, the same are forced rearwardly,permitting the stalks to pass into the recess, and, in so doing, thevertical posts 7 are partially rotated. This rotation of the postsswings in arms 10 over the opening 6, which grasp or force the stalks ofcorn,which are without the path of the opening 6a, into its path, sothat the machine will not miss any straggling or bent stalks. After thecorn has passed the arms V8, the same are permitted to return to theirnormal position, across the opening 6a, by the exertion of the spring 9,and they are thus set ready for another operation. As the machine movesforward, stalks of corn will be received on the knife 6, which willsever the same, and other mechanism, hereinafter' described, will takethe severed stalk and deposit it in the receptacle ready for removal bythe operator.

This knife, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, is constructed of anangularly-shaped plate, 6, which is formed with a recess in its forwardend, into which recess the knife blade, 11, is received. This knifeblade runs in guideways mounted beneath the front platform 5 and on eachside of the recess 6a, and is held in a yielding forward position by aspring, or springs, 12, which surround a guiderod 13, secured to therear of the recess 6a. The knife has an extension 14 on its under side,whose lower end is formed with an eye, through which the rod 13 passes.This extension 14 confines the compression spring 12 between it and/acollar 15, mounted at the rear end of the rod 13, so that when the stalkIOO comes in contact with the knife-blade 11, the

' ward, which backward movement of the blade `in opposite directions.

is utilized in the following manner: Mounted on each side of the bladeare two vertical rods 16, upon the upper ends of which are supportedswinging arms 17, which arms are adapted to overlap or fold beyond eachother when the blade is retracted, and thereby force the stalk of cornagainst the blade and assist These arms are.

in the severing operation. caused to swing rearwardly every time theblade is retracted through the medium of a foot 18 on their lowerextremities, which engages a recess or notch in the sides of theknife-blade, which causes the rods to partially revolve, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5. After the corn has been severed it is removed from theblades by an arm 19, slidingly mounted in an oscillating post20, whichpost is mounted in platform 5 immediately over the front axle. The lowerextremity of this post is provided with right-angular extensions 21,with which lugs 22, on the front axle, are adapted to engagealternately, and by such engagement cause the post 20 to be oscillatednearly a quarter of a revolution alternately By the oscillations of thepost, the arms 19 are similarly operated, which is taken advantage of bycausing them to be thrust forward and retracted, which will gather inthe severed corn from behind the knives. This impellant and retractivemovement of the arms 19 is due to the engagement of a lug 23 with acam-groove 24 in a block 25, which is supported by a bracket 26, fromthe front platform 5. This cam groove is of such shape that-it willaccommodate the lug 23 in each of its extreme positions, due to theoscillation of the lugs 2l, and in one of these extreme positions-therear--I provide the cam-groove with a gate 27, which will cause the lug23 to run in the inside cam track, and, by so doing, be retracted or becaused to be withdrawn, to avoid the stalks which might be in advance ofthe same. After such retraction, the arms are permitted to advance untilthey areagain in position to carry off the severed stalks, at which timethey start on their backward movement. The stalks after they have beencarried backward by the arms are deposited between the two rails 28, thespace between which is closed by a spring gate 29, pivoted to one of thesupporting posts for these rails. The rear pivoted platform 30 hasextending longitudinally its center an inverted V shaped housing 3l, theupper edge of which is formed with a slot for the reception and-passageof a bar 32, said slot being curved downward at its front end to permitthe bar to rest on the platform and be out of the way, as shown in Fig.2. This bar has connected to it, about its center, a cord or chain,which passes over a sheave or pulley mounted in the rear end of theinverted V- shaped housing, thence forward over a drum mounted on therear axle. Mounted on the axle near this drumis a suitable clutchcoupling which is operated by a bell crank lever 35, which bell-cranklever is under the control of the lever 36 projecting above the forwardend of the platform. The rear end of the platform is recessed at 37which recesses are in line with the stubble and are closed when theplatform is in its normal horizontal position by gates or slides 38,which'have eX- tending from their forward ends, rods 39, which aresurrounded by compression springs 40. The forward ends of these rodshave at` tached thereto a chain or cord 41, which extends forward andpasses over a pulley 42 mounted in the forward end of the platform,which cord is then fastened to the stationary platform. On two sides ofthis tilting platform are mounted rails, for the convenience of theoperator.

The operation is as follows: Suitable power being attached to theforward end of themachine, the same is started with the recesses 6a inalignment with two rows of corn. The first relative change in theposition of the parts will be when the arms 8 come in contact with thefirst cornstalk, at which time said arms will be forced rearwardly,swinging the arms 10 around so as to bring the stalk of corn within theopening 6, should said stalk be bent out of line therewith. A furtheradvance movement of the machine will cause the blade 6 to come incontact with the stalk, at which time the blades are forced backward andthe arm 17 brought around to hold the stalk against the action of theblade. After the stalk has been severed, it is then taken up by the arms19 and carried back into the receptacle, which is closed by the springgate 29. These parts, of course, will again assume their normal positionafter this actuation, by their respective springs, the. When the cornhas reached this stage, the operator takes the same and begins theoperation of shocking it on the tilting platform. When the shock iscomplete and it is desired to dump the same, a latch or bolt y, see Fig.2 anddotted lines Fig.1, which is of any suitable construction, iswithdrawn through the medium of a string passing through the platform,within easy reach of the operator, which will free the forward end ofthe tilting platform, and by reason of the rear axles being placed inadvance of the center of this platform and upon which axles the platformis pivoted, the same will be tilted backward, as shown in Fig. 2. Whenthe platform is so tilted, the cords 41, running over the pulleys 42,will cause the gates 3S to be forced for- IOO ward against the action ofsprings 40 and uncover the openings 37, which will permit the stubble topass therethrough and allow the rear end to approach the groundmoreclosely. the operator then, through vthe lever 36, throws the clutchinto contact with its drum, which will wind the cord`3et thereupon andcause the bar 32 to be carried backward and force the shock from theplatform. After the shock has been so discharged, the clutch is thrownoff, the bar 32 replaced to its forward position, as shown in Fig. 2,the platform is caused to assume ahorizontal position, being caught by asuitable latch, which horizontal position of the platform permits thegates 38 v to again slide outwardly and close the openings 37.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In acorn harvester, the combination with a sliding blade, Ofspringsfor holding said 2. In a corn harvester, the combination with the frontplatform, of a receptacle for receiving the severed stalks from theblade, a rod provided with right-angular projections on its lower end,projections on the axle for engaging and oscillating said rod throughthe medium of its right-angular projections, sliding arms 19 mounted insaid rod, and a cam for guiding said arms, substantially as described.

3. In a corn harvester, the combination 'with the front platform, and acutting apparatus carried thereby, of a pivoted rear platform, formedwith recesses in its rear end, in line with the cutting apparatus, gatesfor closing said recesses,va cord attached to said gates and having itsother end attached to the front platform, and a pulley, mounted on thelower front edge of the pivoted platform over which said cord runs,substantially as described.

4. In a corn harvester, the combination with a front platform and acutting apparatus .which is carried thereby, of a tilting platformlocated in the rear of the front platform and provided with recesses inits rear which are in line with the cutting apparatus, and springclosedgates for closing said recesses, which gates are operated to unclosesaid recesses when the rear platform is tilted, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a corn harvester, the combination with the front platform and acutting apparatus carried thereby, of a tilting platform, which ismounted -in the rear of the front platform i on the rear axle, a drummounted on said axle, a clutch mechanism mounted in j uxtaposition tothe drum, a bar slidingly mounted on the platform, and a cord or chainwhich is wound upon the drum and has its other end connected to the bar,substantially as described.

6. In a corn harvester, the combination with the front platform and acutting apparatus which is carried thereby, of a tilting platformpivotally mounted on the rear axle, an in- ,15th day of August, 1893.

HOMER R. STEVENSON.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, HUGH K. WAGNER.

